so i'm installing ported heads, milled .030, my cam is the Ms3 237/242/
.606/.609 lift, ls7 lifters, duel springs,.... what size PUSH RODS should i get? i'm a Newbie......not even a back yard Machanic.. thanx

 

If your not up to being a basic 'backyard mechanic', not to mentioned a spelling bee, I wouldn't recommend a cam & head installation!

But - to answer your question, measure for proper pushrod length.

If you can handle the cam/head install, measuring for pushrod length is one extra simple step.

 

Buy a pushrod length checker and measure for the correct length. It will be a crapshoot if you try and ask us to guess.

Measuring for correct length is easy. Buy the Comp PR length checker.

Look here: http://www.ls1speed.com/catagory.cfm...in%20/%20Heads

bottom of the page.

...and please tell us you measured your PTVC.

R/

Frat

 

Be very cautious if you've never done much mechanic work. Getting everything that you are going to install installed PROPRERLY is going to determine the longevity of the motor

 

hey thanx for info..i'm not doing the WORK...i'm getting everything the mechanic needs!!! saving $$$$ anywho i guess getting the "ck lenght tool" is the only way to go.....today i was told that a 7.335 length would work.

anybody else????? chine in...

 

Just ask your mechanic to measure for the correct length and give you the length so you can order it.

Let us know how she runs when you are finished.

R/

Frat

 

You could call Texas Speed and ask them. I'm sure they would have an idea what length they need to be since this is their grind and they have surely installed plenty of them with various head combos. If you were using factory heads all you would need to do is measure the base circle of the cam vs. the factory cam to figure it out. But with the milled heads you can't do this. You can use a pr length checker like said above but then you can't order them until the install is far enough along to check for the correct length, which may be an issue for your installer. This is really the only way to be certain you have the correct length, but from my experience it's not as simple as it sounds because you really need a "dummy" lifter installed to use the length checker. It's very hard to get a correct reading otherwise, if not impossible. Which means you have to pull a head back off and swap the lifter back out after checking.

 

A bit off topic here....

DaveX, how much preload did you run with your LS7 lifters?

R/

Frat

 

Any mechanic doing a performance build knows the last part to buy is the pushrods. I have all the parts for my build and will order pushrods once the heads are bolted down and the rockers are shimmed to the correct wipe pattern, then I will measure for pushrods and order them. They don't take long to get and installation is quick so I can finish a lot of the re-assembly while waiting for them to arrive.

 

I don't know exactly because I don't remember exactly what it is from the factory but I'm about .005" - .010" less then the factory LS1 setup. All things being equal my heads use factory length push rods. I only had to compare base circles on the cams and account for the slightly thinner head gaskets to figure what length I needed. The wipe is perfect and my valvetrain is very quiet for a cammed LS1.